Austin City Limits Music Festival Preview Day 2

So ACL really should be embarrassed with their Saturday offerings.  It is thin at best! I won’t name the performer but when an artist says something like “When I first heard the Marshall Mathers cd it changed my life” then you know that’s not a good sign. Even if this were true, why would anyone ever admit that? I guess if you were performing for the Kiddie Stage it might be ok because anyone who drops their kids off at this stage deserves for them to hear scrubby obscenities yelled at them by awkward looking trolls. So since there is no one I’m crazy excited to see I will just finish this rant with a shout out to favorite band Muse. After the release of their new album someone should tell them that just because you get to put your balls in Kate Hudson’s mouth doesn’t mean that she gets to keep them! Seriously guys, this new album is garbage! And with that, let’s move on to the acts I will be popping in on.

If I actually wake up in time I will be seeing Caveman. I did a write up on them a few months ago.
http://onlyfreshness.blogspot.com/2012/06/caveman.html

It’s sad that they have this early of a slot but their music is built for this. They’re a nice warm up act whose music  is full of slow moving melodies that build to a climax and will have you swaying  like Colin Ferrell after a night of Jameson and sex tapes.  Cool 5 piece band from NYC that plays indie rock.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRLDd4qFO1k

Next up is Zola Jesus, who for the longest time I thought was Swedish but just recently found out she’s American and from the boonies. Her sound is like experimental gothic electronic music. It sounds like something David Bowie would make with Trent Reznor but not quite as cool. Check out her song Vessel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HY9WUZZrTpw

After this I would check out Big K.R.I.T. Again, I will give ACL credit for putting him in this slot because it’s a nice transition from start up and get you settled in music to getting you crunk music. The cool thing about KRIT is it’s not just booty shaker hip hop but he also has some introspective tracks which are not boring in the least. A must see on Saturday. I did a preview of him here.
http://onlyfreshness.blogspot.com/2012/05/sex-and-city.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhlAkJSBGl8

I saw Metric open for Muse at Stubb’s and they know how to put on a show. They are Canadian indie rock band that, if they are honest with themselves would admit that they are really all about the lead singer Emily Haines. She’s not as crazy as Alice from Crystal Castles but she is quite the performer and you find that you can’t keep your eyes off her. This will be a true rock show and after listening to KRIT there’s no need to come back down (I almost made a Bush joke there) to some singer songwriter.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEWPcmVgVcg

After Metric I would suggest getting some food before heading over to see The Roots. They are one of the few true hip hop acts that ACL has booked and they are also one of the few that can actually have a live band and not sound corny. I have seen rapper after rapper try and recreate their sound with a band and it just sounds lame and it completely loses it’s original sound and feel. See Talib Kweli at SXSW. But since these guys have always been a band, they know how to make their music sound great live and you won’t find yourself half ass dancing to some weak wanna be mash up of Paradise City and an awful freestyle.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojC0mg2hJCc

I am not a huge fan of either headliner but I would pop in on both just because I am sure Jack White will play some White Stripes songs and Eddie Vedder might show up to play with Neil Young because of his huge man crush! Props to Neil Young and his score for Jim Jarmuch's Dead Man.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvpoiiBW9bc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcdSWfWSqGE

Here are a few artists you may want to pop in on but  I think I’ll pass up. Father John Misty has one cool song but it’s mainly because the hot girl from Safety Not Guaranteed is in the video. He is a folky singer songwriter.  Oberhofer is still riding the wave of being this year’s SXSW darling. They are weird indie music that’s hard to describe but I guess it’s something you can dance to. And of course there’s the Shins.
http://onlyfreshness.blogspot.com/2012/06/safety-not-guaranteed.html

Overall this day is kind of WEAK but  I will definitely be in the mix.